


The Hardest Part

by JediC8H10N4O2



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Gen, children growing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 16:48:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11901960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediC8H10N4O2/pseuds/JediC8H10N4O2
Summary: The hardest part of being a parent to two children is that they are completely different. They both demand attention, and there is only one of you. You can't be everywhere at once.Taiyang can't be everywhere at once. (so he thinks he's never where he's needed)





	The Hardest Part

He thought the hardest part about being a dad was watching his girls grow up. He thought it was when his little baby went to Beacon with her older sister. He thought it was when they fought Grim who had invaded Vale. He thought it was when his eldest seemingly acted without honor when he knew she wouldn't have.

He was wrong.

The hardest part of being a dad was watching Yang deal with the loss of her arm. Of his bright bubbly girl going quiet and moody. Of a loving older sister turn away from her younger sister. It was when Qrow brought back his other daughter, unmoving. He could have lost them both that day (he may have lost Yang). And Yang didn't want him to hang around, so he sat at Ruby's bedside, because damn it, he felt useless. A father was supposed to protect them.

(Summer would have. His mind says. Why couldn't you have died and she lived?)

And when Ruby woke up, Taiyang felt happy, ecstatic. He hadn't lost his baby girl, even if it seemed like he had lost her sister. And then Qrow wanted to talk to her. Alone.

(Sometimes he hated Qrow. But if it wasn't for Qrow, his daughters would be dead)

Taiyang knew he was telling her everything he didn't want her to know yet, burdening Ruby with a destiny that was meant for Summer.

(Summer was supposed to be the one, so that their baby girl would be safe)

But what was Ruby going to do? School was out, indefinitely, and the whole family was here. Home. Safe, or as safe as they could be given the world right now. So Taiyang breathed in and out and let Qrow talk, and made food for Ruby and Yang.

The house was quiet, wrong, but Taiyang had everyone close. They might get through it. Yang would just need time.

And then there was the note.

(He'd seen it before. She hadn't come back)

And Taiyang ran because no, not his daughter not his baby goddamn it Ozpin not Ruby.

But all he could see were footprints in the snow, leading away from the house, from safety, and into danger and destiny.

(And once again he was left behind).

This was the hardest part about being a dad. Choosing which child to stay with. Choosing who to take care of. Because he wouldn't be able to convince Ruby to come home (Summer was stubborn) and Yang wasn't ready to face the world. So he turned back to the house because he couldn't leave Yang (What if she was too much like her mother? What if she thought it was better to be dead than maimed?).

And he turned his back on his daughter (please let her come back please don't let yesterday be the last day he saw her) and turned to dedicating himself to helping Yang (the faster Yang got better, the happier she would be, and the sooner his girls could be back together and Ruby could be safer).

The hardest thing he had ever done was turn his back on Ruby, knowing he may never see her again. And that he didn't even get to say goodbye.

If Yang noticed the tear tracks, she didn't mention them. And she never did ask about the newly repaired wall. But that was fine.

Because Yang needed Taiyang to be strong. And doing any of that would have broken him.

**Author's Note:**

> This is what I think was going through Taiyang's mind during season four. Having to let his daughter leave, not getting to say goodbye, and not knowing if he'd ever see her again, because Yang needed him more.


End file.
